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Dordt College News

Live webcast available for Inauguration Ceremony for new college president

The public is invited to attend the inauguration ceremony of the fourth president of Dordt College, Dr. Erik Hoekstra. The event will be held in the B.J. Haan Auditorium on the campus of Dordt College at 11 a.m., Friday, October 19.

Dr. Hoekstra will present the Inaugural Address “On the Edge of Our Seats.” Participants in the program will include student musicians, faculty and staff representatives of Dordt College, along with audience participation in liturgy and song.

Representatives from 36 colleges as well as the Dordt College Board of Trustees will be in attendance.

Dr. Hoekstra is the fourth president of Dordt College. Born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, he is no stranger to the role of president of a Christian college. His father served as president of Trinity Christian College in Palos Heights, Illinois, when he was growing up, and his father-in-law was president of Trinity during his college years.

Hoekstra received his bachelor’s degree from Trinity Christian College, his master’s degree from The Rotterdam School of Management of Erasmus University in the Netherlands, and his Ph.D. from Iowa State University.

Most recently, Hoekstra served as Dordt College provost, during which time programs in nursing, engineering, and agriculture had grown substantially, and new programs in worship arts, construction management, and actuarial science began. He reshaped the academic structure of the college, chaired the Enrollment Management Team, and worked closely with the advancement office and president on Dordt’s recently completed Beyond Jubilee: Vision 2020 Campaign.

Dr. Hoekstra is married to Dr. Barb Hoekstra, an education professor at Dordt College. Their family is a blend of biological and adopted children and includes Arie, 17; Max, 16; Karl, 15; and Zoe, 13.

Past presidents of Dordt College include Rev. B.J. Haan who served as Dordt’s first president until 1982, Dr. J.B. Hulst who served until 1996, and Dr. Carl E. Zylstra who served until the conclusion of the 2011-12 academic year.